The Wandering Samurai
by DaNightsTemplar
Summary: In the Ashikaga Shogunate respect means everything. So when disrespect is apparent, punishment is given. Despite it all, a new warrior rises... After all, "If you do not enter the tiger's cave, you will not catch it's cub." Inspired by 'Sengoku Naruto'. NaruSaku.
1. I

**Hello! Inspired by reading 'Sengoku Naruto' by Tachman, I have decided to make a story based in Feudal Japan. However, this will not be set within the Sengoku period but with the Ashikaga Shogunate- the previous period, around 1270s. Our main protagonist-Naruto- will be a Ashigaru (In simplistic terms- A footsoldier) but his roles WILL change throughout the story. We will watch his life as he ascends the ranks from a common peasant to...something higher! WARNING!- Some of the story may not be historically accurate. I will try to make it as accurate as I can but some if not most of it will be completely inaccurate. Also, even though I said it is set in the Ashikaga Shogunate, it will have some merging of the eras, not too much, but if you are well versed in knowledge about Feudal Japan, you'll probably notice it. Don't fret! I'm sure it won't make a difference anyway. It WILL ALSO have some themes of the story '47 Ronin' embedded within. So don't come complaining to me that I was copying, its not like I wrote the entire premise of the story anyway.  
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**Anyway! Enough chitchat. On with the story.**

_**Ashigaru Naruto~**_

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><p><em>He entered. The morning light flooded the room through the empty windows and open door, illuminating the bare room. Sakura petals majestically followed behind him into the room, dancing around his feet. The man paid no attention to the petals however and continued further, past the two futons that laid underneath one of the windows, until he was stood in front of a small wooden desk. The expertly carved wood that formed the desk suggested that it was made only by an master craftsmen. He pulled back the chair- one that had the same quality as the desk- and slowly sat down, it was bare of any objects except of a single brush, a ink pot and a blank book. Breathing deeply, the man picked up the brush and lightly dunked it in the ink before he began to expertly brush it against the blank paper.<em>

_He didn't have much time._

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><p>It was raining when it happened. It should of been a sign- a reason not to go outside. But it didn't matter now. They did anyway.<p>

Maybe it was because it was raining they were rushing. Maybe it wouldn't of happened if the man wasn't in a horrible mood. But he was. And it did. It couldn't of been his father's fault that the Samurai wasn't looking where he was going. But the Samurai said it was, and that was all that mattered. He took it as a sign of disrespect and in the world of honour, respect meant everything. At the tender age of 6 of course he didn't understand how big of a deal respect was, but when the Samurai began to unsheathe his sword, he couldn't help but wonder why. The screams of his mother didn't help, maybe she could of been spared if she didn't throw herself at the man, desperately trying to preserve her husbands life, but he just saw it as another show of disrespect and defiance. He executed them both in the street, not even sparing a glance at the boy wailing in despair at the loss of his parents lives, or at the crowd of peasants that watched the massacrer, nor at the severed heads as they rolled about the ground, he didn't need to, his point was proven. He could of showed mercy, but he would of been seen as weak.

It was raining when his parents were murdered. So of course, he begun to despise the rain.

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><p>Sakura blossoms rained down from the sky- twisting and turning through the air, as if completing a elegant dance. The sun peaked its way through the twisted branches of the trees, making the young boy squint as it temporarily blinded him. Holding up his hand to block out the shining light, he wasn't able to see the elderly man approach from behind him. Only when the man sat down on the wooden porch next to him, did he know of his presence.<p>

They sat there for a while, both content in sitting in silence and marvelling at the beauty of the sun set before them. The garden providing a adequate view of the sun falling bellow the horizon. As the darkness crept in, the elderly man spoke up- his voice soft, but spoke of untold wisdom.

"Spilt water will not return to the tray, Naruto (1)" the man spoke in riddles, but the young boy now identified as Naruto understood it nevertheless.

Now 15 years of age, Naruto had grown from the young weeping child he was 9 years ago, no longer did he no nothing of respect and its consequences of disobedience. He had grown, that much is true, but he still clung onto the memory, refusing to let it go.

Naruto looked up at the elderly man that was his grandfather. After his parents were killed, Naruto's grandfather had taken him in, providing for him the love and care he needed to grow. His grandfather's wife died before he was born and since death was such a fragile topic around Naruto, he never mentioned about her. Throughout the years, Naruto's grandfather has grew weak. A rare disease that slowly deteriorated his major organs until they became unusable plagued his grandfather. In a few years, Naruto's last known family member would be dead.

And he would be the last of the Uzumaki clan.

The thought alone scared Naruto more than anything else. He didn't think he could cope on his own. But staring into his grandfather's wisdom-filled eyes, made him discourage those thoughts for now.

"I know, Ojii-sama. But its not like I could forget. I'm 15 years of age now and I have no life ahead of me." Naruto turned to look away from his grandfather and opted to stare blankly at the sakura blossom that floated down into his hand.

Takeshi Uzumaki was not a normal elderly man. He had fought during his life as a Samurai. The years of being a warrior had given him a wisdom unique to those who have known battle. He could tell Naruto had suffered much without even having to know of his past, his eyes could never lie. The innocence had long been eroded away, forgotten. However behind that, Takeshi could see a warriors heart brewing within. Naruto's past had made him extremely loyal. A trait that would make him excel as a warrior of Japan. There was also the fact he was an Uzumaki. Their clan had produced brilliant warriors but the it slowly began to dwindle until only a few with Uzumaki blood remained. Kushina- Naruto's mother- was one of the only living Uzumaki females left and because she was female, she could not become a warrior, so she had an arranged marriage to one of the Uzumaki clan's allies. Namikaze. The Namikaze wasn't as proficient in fighting as the Uzumaki, but they excelled in trades. This allowed the Uzumaki clan to gain goods at a cheaper prince in exchange of protection for the Namikaze. However both clans began to wither down until there were only a few of both clans remained. However, it still didn't remove the fact that Naruto was an Uzumaki and he was born a warrior.

Takeshi smiled at his grandson. " After it rains, the earth hardens.(2)" Takeshi slowly rose and turned to look down at Naruto. "Perseverance makes us strong, Naruto. It defines who we are." Takeshi disappeared into the open door behind them, leaving Naruto on his own.

Naruto's grandfather always was the wisest person he knew. He always knew exactly what to say to make him feel better, but that still didn't help him. He was useless. He longed for a purpose, a reason to carry on. He knew of his clan's greatness and how they excelled in combat but he also knew of their downfall. How their numbers slowly declined until there was merely a handful left. Naruto looked out upon the garden in front of him. The grass was littered with sakura blossoms, some even floated in the small koi ponds that was spread out over the large garden.

Standing up, Naruto walked forward towards the pond, the sakura blossom from before still in his hand. Knelling down at the edge of the pond, Naruto carefully placed the sakura blossom onto the surface. The ripples bounced off the sides, creating little waves that crashed together. The ripples subsided and Naruto saw his grandfather in the reflection of the water, staring down at him while holding two bokkens in his hand. Curious, Naruto stood upon and turned to confront his relative.

"What are those for, Ojii-sama?" Naruto's grandfather gave a wise smile and handed him one of the bokken.

"I'm going to train you in the art of sword. Your the last known male of the clan so I'm entrusting the survival of our fighting spirit to you, Naruto." Naruto grasped the bokken out of his grandfather's hand. The training sword felt like it belonged in his hands, like he was made to wield them. Naruto looked up at his grandfather again. "Wake from death and return to life (3)."

Naruto smiled his first smile in years. He knew what he was going to do. He had his purpose.

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><p>3 years went by. The 3 years have been brutal but fulfilling for Naruto. Despite his grandfather's age, he could still fight like he was in his prime. Day after day, they sparred. His grandfather always came out on top, due to his skill, but he could clearly see that Naruto was progressing at a tremendous rate. The Uzumaki's stamina had definitively passed down to Naruto, no matter how many times he was knocked down, he always got back up again just to go through the same process again. Rinse, repeat. However, Takeshi not only taught Naruto in combat, he also taught him in Bushidō- the way of the warrior. This taught Naruto the moral views of being a warrior and what was acceptable and not. Of course, ever since <em>that <em>day, Naruto had resented the powers that came with the title of being a Samurai, but his grandfather had taught him that being a Samurai was not the only option and that they were many other paths Naruto could chose.

It was 3 years of this until Naruto's grandfather had asked him into his room after their daily training. However, this came as a great shock to Naruto as he was always clearly instructed to never enter his grandfather's room. The walk through the traditional Shōji hallways was silent, making Naruto wonder if he had done something to anger his grandfather, and that was something Naruto never wanted to do. His grandfather has been nothing but kind to him ever since he arrived at his home. Sure, his grandfather had been strict with him during training, but that was only to make him take it seriously, not like he wouldn't take it seriously anyway.

Nonetheless, when his grandfather open the paper doors to his room, Naruto's fears left him. For in the centre of his grandfather's room was a glass container that withheld a blade that Naruto knew all too well.

"Kusanagi..." The Grass Cutting Sword. This particular sword had been his family since it was first formed. However, after being taught more about the Uzumaki clan by his grandfather, Naruto was lead to believe it had long been lost; yet it was been contained in his grandfather's room.

Takeshi walked past Naruto's shocked state and approached the glass container. Even though the glass looked weak, it was reinforced so it even withstand blunt force-for example, a hammer. Takeshi reached around his neck and undid a chain. The chain became loose around his neck. Takeshi slid a small key off the chain and inserted it into a tiny lock on the side of the container. A small click was heard and Takeshi pulled the key out of the lock and retied it around his neck. Now that the container was unlocked, Takeshi carefully opened it up and retrieved Kusanagi for inside.

The sword was long for an average katana. Also unlike a traditional katana, Kusanagi had no hand guard, just a solid black grip that looked like it was split in two. Curving at the end, the sword gleamed a bit in the light, the sharpness of the blade still been maintained over the years.

Takeshi turned around and presented the sword to Naruto.

"This sword is now in your hands, Naruto. Treat it well, for it shall be your companion until the end."

And with that, Naruto grasped the the blade.

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><p><strong>Done! This was made late at night so sorry for any mistakes. <strong>

**(1)- Basically means, no point crying over spilt milk.**

**(2)- Adversity builds character. **

**(3)-To come out of a desperate situation and make a complete return.**

**Read and review.**


	2. II

**This story will never be abandoned. I may take a few short breaks but I will complete it. My other stories other than 'Hunger' are on hiatus and I will get to them later. But for now, I am proceeding with two of my stories.****  
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><p>Naruto had left his grandfather's house soon after. Armed with the Kusanagi and in his clan's traditional tatami armour that his grandfather also gave him along with the Kusanagi before he left. It was sort of a family heirloom, which someone could easily tell because of it's distinct colour scheme.<p>

Instead of the usual dark colours that made up the armour, this one was a vibrant orange. Even the jingasa(1) that replaced the customary Kabuto(2) was orange. However, underneath the armour were clothing that was regular on a Samurai- a black shitagi with a red spiral symbol over his heart(3)and a white hakama(4) at the waist.

Naruto's leave had been emotional for for the both of them but they both kept it down to a formal bow; he was a warrior now, it was time to get a clamp down on his emoti- Oh, look! Ramen!

Naruto-not so calmly-walked to the ramen stand (**AN Mostly likely not a stand back then but I honestly don't care. Its in and its staying in.**). His grandfather had gave him a health sum of 1000 copper coins (**AN: I have no idea what the ****currency was called back then but I do know they used Chinese coins- a copper coin with a hole in the middle- but I do not know how much they were worth back then. If someone can tell me that'll be great.**) to spend but strictly told him not to go wasting it; even though Naruto knew that spend it on ramen was definitely _not _wasting it. His parents used to take him to get ramen every once in a while before they died, making ramen a treat that always managed to cheer Naruto up when he was upset.

Sitting down on one of the stools, Naruto threw a couple of coins onto the counter and placed his order. "One miso ramen."

The cook nodded and swiped the coins off the counter before turning around to make Naruto's order. While the cook was doing what he did best, Naruto was thinking of what he was going to do next. He was currently in the Land of Fire, one of the four major nations in his known world. However, he is not in the capital of the Land of Fire but in one of the many minor villages that are scattered through it. The problem was, Naruto needed to go to the capital so he could sign up to be in the Shogun's army, at least for the time being; but to actually get there, he would need a horse- a fast one preferably.

Naruto was cut out of his musings by a bowl of miso ramen being placed in front of him. Naruto looked up to thank the man but he had already started cooking the rest of the customer's orders. Sighing, Naruto picked up his chopsticks and dug into his meal.

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><p>Not long later, Naruto had finished his food and was currently thinking about where he could get his transportation from. He spent most of his life in his grandfather's compound and due to the size of the compound and his grandfather's teachings, he didn't really need to leave. Naruto didn't seek human companionship as he already had his grandfather to talk to and he was enough company to make Naruto content. This was the first real time he left the compound ever since his parents were murdered.<p>

Thinking the owner of the ramen shop may have an idea of where to look, Naruto tried to catch the owner's attention and after a few waves and gestures, the man approached Naruto.

"What is it you need, my lord?" Naruto was confused as to why the man was addressing him in such a way; that was until he remembered the looked like a Samurai.

"Ah, no need to be so formal. I'm not an actual Samurai...yet. I just wanted to know where I could purchase a horse." The man seemed to relax a bit at Naruto's statement.

"Thank the Gods." The man exhaled, confusing Naruto some more. When the owner of the shop saw Naruto's bewildered expression, the man elaborated. "Samurai around this area have been known to very proud people, us common folk have to be extra careful not to disrespect one of them in anyway. They'll abuse their power over us and heads will start rolling."

What the man said angered Naruto to the very core. The events of his parent's death flashed through his mind and only added fuel to the fire. Naruto's anger was so apparent, that the owner took a few steps back. Naruto noticed this and forced himself to calm down; getting angry here won't do himself any good. Breathing deeply through his mouth, Naruto spoke to the owner in a authoritative tone.

"Where are these Samurai stationed?" The owner seemed to understand the undertone of what Naruto was saying and was quick to speak his thoughts.

"Wait! You can't be thinking of going there! There must be at least 20 Samurai stationed there right now!"

_Crunch!_

The counter splintered slightly under Naruto's hands, his stool knocked back onto the floor from his outburst.

"Where are they stationed!" Naruto growled; screw not getting angry. The rage that had been brewing from all of the years had begun to bubble up to the surface, destroying Naruto's sense of reason.

The man not wanting to get on the wrong side of a blade quickly explained where the Samurai could be located. He also told Naruto that the Samurai not only abused their powers given to them by the Shogun, they were also exploiting the village; scaring the villagers into giving them money and other valuables and that they were lead by a man named Gato. This was the rock that broke the camel's back. Not being able to listen anymore, Naruto stormed out of the stand and headed straight for the direction of the Samurai; the owner of the ramen stand shouting behind him.

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><p>It was dark outside by the time Naruto arrived at the compound. The compound had been a good few miles away from the village and was situated in a dense forest, away from wandering eyes. The compound was large, a wide open courtyard at the front of the location with barracks built at the sides, watch towers at all the corners and a massive main building that took up half of the compound- probably where this 'Gato' was housed. Multiple Samurai patrolled the grounds, making it extremely difficult to enter.<em><br>_

_'Maybe this wasn't such a good idea'_, Naruto thought. How could he think he could take out a group of 20 trained Samurai? Of course he has been trained himself but still, he was still greener than grass when it came to combat besides sparring. _'Stupid! Stupid, Naruto!' _Smacking his face against his hand Naruto began to formulate a plan.

Naruto's first idea was to take off his florescent armour. It was probably the most rational thought he had all day; he might as well of been wearing a massive, glowing bullseye on his back. After hiding his armour on a branch of a nearby tree, but making sure to keep Kusanagi secured tightly around his waist, Naruto slowly sneaked through the dense foliage to look for any weak points of the compound's walls. Unfortunately, the walls were flawless, making Naruto's already improbable plan of sneaking inside, to near impossible.

However, before Naruto could try to think of another plan to get in, he spotted a single patrol leaving the compound and enter the forest he was previously in. A new and plausible idea burst into Naruto's mind, but he had to be quick for it to work. Carefully sneaking back into the forest, Naruto stalked the Samurai.

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><p>Hideo Saitou was <em>not <em>happy. He just wanted to have a peaceful afternoon, basking in the pleasures of flesh at the local brothel, before he got the night job that is. Groaning in annoyance, Hideo dragged his body through the forest, seeming unaware of the change in the air. Hideo was cut out of his grumblings from a noise above him. Thinking it was a bird and that it could at least give a small amount of entertainment in this long night, he looked up.

The last thing he saw the descending foot of his attacker.

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><p>Naruto was shocked. He couldn't believe his plan actually worked! After climbing into the trees as soon as he enter the forest, he was sure that the Samurai would of surely been able to spot him and then alert his comrades of the intruder, but instead, Naruto knocked him out without a hitch.<p>

Naruto's logical side began to think that it had something to do with the Samurai being too proud and because no-one had attacked them before, they were untouchable. Either way, Naruto didn't care, now he could begin stage two of his infiltration plan.

Looking down at the unconscious body on the floor, Naruto stared at the Samurai armour he had on. Reaching down, Naruto began to take the armour off, piece by piece, until the man was left in his plain black kimono. Sighing, Naruto knew what he had to do, he could leave the Samurai unguarded out in the forest but he would run the risk of him awakening again, plus he couldn't bind the Samurai as he had nothing to tie him with. So Naruto steeled his nerves for what he was about to do.

Knelling down slowly, Naruto carefully unsheathed Kusanagi...

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><p>Approaching the Samurai compound, adorned in the Samurai garb he had taken off the now deceased man, Naruto reflected on his feelings. Naruto had already bare witnessed a brutal killing so he was not as unprepared as someone else, but it still did not lesson the blow Naruto felt as he slit his enemy's throat. He knew he had to kill someday, so he convinced himself that it was just a part of life. Survival of the fittest.<p>

Naruto dismissed his thoughts for now, he could think upon them later. He was currently standing in front of the tremendous wooden gate that lead the compound, but he couldn't help but feel a little bit of dread rise up- however, he quickly removed those thoughts; it was too late to back out now.

Naruto held his fingers to his mouth and let out a loud whistle; one that attracted the attention of the gatekeeper.

"So you're back already, Hideo? How was your late night walk, catch any civilian women you could bring back?" Naruto grit his teeth. "Aw, don't be like that Hideo. Come on, I'll let you in and you can get yourself a drink...bastard." Naruto ignored the snide remark at the end and waited for the man to open the gate so he could enter.

The gates creaked and groaned as they were slowly slid open, years of decay showing. Naruto walked forward-past the gatekeeper that was rambling on about how he was always on duty-and into the courtyard. The men inside were not quite as alert as the man on watch, most of them were stumbling around drunk, holding bottles of sake in their hands. Naruto was fuming at the sight. How could they claim to be Samurai when they committed such disgraceful behaviour? Naruto shook his head. He proceeded to go to the-

Wait, what was he doing again?

Oh, yeah. He never thought that far.

Shit.

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><p><strong>And there we have it. Sorry for the cliffhanger, I just had to do it! And for the people who want the romance between Naruto and Sakura to start, she'll be introduced in a couple of chapters...when Naruto reaches Konoha of course. MWHAHAHAHAHA! Errm, sorry.<strong>

**Hideo translates to 'Excellent man' which I think is quite ironic to say the least.**

**Any questions will be answered through PM.**

**Read & Review!**


	3. III

**Before anyone asks- I'm awful at writing drunk people.**

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><p>Before Naruto could think of a plan on what to do now he was in the compound, someone grasped his shoulder from behind. Naruto's muscles seized up in preparation of being caught, but he relaxed slightly when he heard what they said.<p>

"Heyyy Hideo! W-Whacha *burp* doin' there?" The man was obviously drunk. Naruto didn't even need to turn around to figure that much out, but if he did, he would of smelt the pungent smell of alcohol on his breath.

Deciding he'll play along, Naruto spoke up; slightly nervous. "Errm, I was just...returning from night patrol! Yeah, that's it." Naruto chuckled awkwardly at the end, hoping the drunk would believe him.

The man was silent for a moment; trying desperately to stay up straight on his two feet, but failing horribly. It was only after a few seconds that the cogs in the man's brain started turning. "Y-You and your damn'd night jobs!~" A bit of drool slithered down the man's chin. "Come with me!We're...We're gonna get drunk!"

"Err...I'll rather no-"

The man grabbed Naruto's arm before he finished his sentence and dragged him off into the armoury; Naruto busy thinking up a way to make this go his way.

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><p>The barracks were small. Smaller compared to the rest of the compound's buildings, most likely because they do more harassing than actual Samurai work. The dark oak wood of the walls gave the room a bit of a depressing feel; not like Naruto could be in a worse mood anyway. Weapons were clumsily thrown about, not even bothered to put back correctly in the weapon racks. There was a door leading off in the corner, probably some kind of maintenance room, one they seemed to neglect.<p>

"W-Wait a minute?! Thi-This isn't the bar!" The man seemed terribly confused. He looked left to right franticly, as if he was looking for a way out.

Meanwhile, Naruto was formulating a plan on how to ditch the drunk and make his way.._'Damn it! Still haven't thought that bit through!' _Just as Naruto was about make an excuse about how he had to leave, another person entered the room.

One who was not drunk.

This man held an entirely different air around him. The way he stood up straight radiated power and respect. His calculating gaze scanned the room until they fell upon Naruto and the drunkard. If Naruto was to place him in order of rank, he'll probably put him pretty high up.

That was not good.

The man's gaze seemed to linger on Naruto a bit more than what he thought was comfortable. Nevertheless, the man approached them anyway.

"Takanori!" The drunk man next to Naruto responded to the call and made a sloppy imitation of of a salute. Hindered by the fact that his hand was covering his eyes and he could barley stand on both legs. "What have I told you about coming into the barracks, drunk! This is unacceptable!" The man labelled as Takanori flinched at the other man's commanding tone. In the meantime, Naruto was trying to sneak out of the room unseen. Unfortunately, luck was not on his side.

"Saitou!" The man's booming voice halted Naruto's progression. Turning around, Naruto saluted the man; his body straight and sturdy, unlike the Takanori man he was with.

The armour clad man's frowned underneath his helmet, but Naruto could tell he was suspicious from his body posture. He walked up to Naruto, his steps loud and heavy, until he was standing face to face with him, only a few inches apart.

"Take off your helmet."

The command was clear but it filled Naruto with such dread he felt as if his heart was going to explode right then and there. Eyes quickly darting around the room, Naruto looked for a escape of some sort.

None.

"I said... _Remove. Your. Helmet.__" __  
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This time there was a underline threat in his voice, promising pain if he did not comply. Naruto was running out of time; fast. Running was not an option, as soon as he would get out the barracks the Samurai would be hot on his tail. Naruto also couldn't remove his helmet, it was mostly guaranteed that the man knew the face of the person Naruto was pretending to be, so if he were to take off his helmet, the man would take off his head.

That left only one option.

As quick as he could, Naruto unsheathed Kusanagi, just in time to block the side sweep of his opponent's katana. The sound of steel on steel reverberated throughout the barracks. Sparks were flying of the joined blades as a heated battle between eyes were taking place.

"Takanori! Go alert the others!" The man had not moved after seeing the recent events and was still swinging from side to side. He nodded, still intoxicated, and made a run for the door. Naruto was about to intercept him but luckily, for the first time tonight, luck was on his side. After tripping on his own foot, the man was out cold as soon as his face made contact with the floor.

Naruto's opponent cursed. "Damn it!...Fine, I'll do this myself." He pushed back against Naruto's sword and made some distance between them.

Seconds past as they assessed each other, trying to find any weakness in each other's guard. As quick as the silence came, it was gone; the two men ran at each other-swords at their sides, ready to strike. Another clang of steel echoed as they clashed once more. However, the stalemate was not nearly as long as last pressed forward, knocking the Samurai off balance slightly, and went in for an overhead strike. His opponent was ready however, and lifted his sword to block.

The Samurai twisted his blade to harmlessly direct Kusanagi off to the side. Spinning in place, the Samurai attempted a downward slash on Naruto's unprotected back. Sensing the impending strike, Naruto used the momentum from his previous attack to roll along the ground, dodging the slice.

Now Naruto was on the ground, he had a clear shot at his enemy's legs. Swing his sword in the ark, Naruto attempted to slice the Samurai's legs clean off. Eyes widening, the Samurai leaped back just in time to get out of the danger zone, but he did not get away unharmed, a trail of blood ran down his leg where a small incision was made.

The Samurai growled, he needed to finish this quick. However before he respond, Naruto was already on a follow up attack; aiming to bisect him from the hip to the shoulder. Sick of being on the defensive, the Samurai charged towards Naruto in a head on attack- attempting to impale his sword through Naruto's chest and end it all there. Not expecting for the Samurai to charge right at him, Naruto twisted his sword so it would deflect against the strike.

The steel swords ground against each other, making a high pitch screeching sound as they moved. A wet squelch silenced the blades. Blood dripped off the sword as Kusanagi sheathed itself in the Samurai's heart.

His eyes were wide; frozen in pain. Red liquid slowly trickled down the corner of his mouth, to his chin, and onto the floor. The man gasped, but only managed to fill his lungs with more blood. Looking up at his killer, the Samurai stared into his eyes. A few moments past. A long exhale broke the silence and the Samurai fell limp against the blade.

The same wet squelching sound was heard as gravity unsheathed the blade from the man's heart. His body hit the floor with a dull thud and the sound of heavy breathing filled the room.

Naruto hadn't moved from his spot. His panting was the only noise heard in the armoury.

"Gah-!"

Pain erupted from his side. Dropping to one knee, Naruto held a hand to his waist and retracted it. Blood. Looking down, Naruto spotted a large gash alongside his waist, blood dripping out of it.

_'I guess I wasn't fast enough to deflect it fully.' _Naruto chuckled hollowly. While the wound wasn't life threatening, it could weaken him immensely if he found himself in another fight.

Looking around, Naruto spotted the maintenance room door again. Thinking it would probably have something he could wrap his wound with, Naruto slowly limped towards the door. Grasping the handle, Naruto pulled open the door, only to be hit in the head with a broom that was leaning against it.

Rubbing his now throbbing head, Naruto searched the small closet for something that could deal with his most urgent injury. After a few minutes of searching, Naruto emerged for the closet with a small roll of bandages in his hand. Lifting up his armour slightly to expose the wound, Naruto wrapped the white cloth around his waist tightly. Carefully placing his armour back down, trying not to damage the wound any further, Naruto scanned the armoury. The Samurai's corpse was still laying on the ground in a pool of it's own blood, while the unconscious drunk was laying only a couple of feet away. Sighing, Naruto got to work with hiding the bodies.

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><p>Peaking his head out of the armoury, Naruto was relieved to find no-one in sight, only the few training dummy's that littered the courtyard. Casually exiting the armour to not garner any attention, Naruto begun walking to the main building.<p>

Before leaving, Naruto had managed to store both of the bodies in the supply closet and mopped up the blood with a mop that he found inside. While he had been doing this, Naruto had finished thinking up a plan. He theorised that, much like a tree, if he cut away the roots, the rest would fall. So all he had to do now was find the head of the group of corrupt Samurai and dispose of him.

That's his theory anyway.

Naruto also thought that the first place to look for the leader of the group would be in the largest building in the compound. Not a bad theory. However, Naruto knew it wouldn't be easy. From what he just experienced, he knew that a fair few of the guards would not be intoxicated and would be able to differ him from the persona he was playing. If he came to blows with the Samurai, Naruto highly doubted it would be as easy as it was in the armoury. In the main building, Samurai were more likely to stumble across the fight and intervene; that was something that Naruto wanted to avoid at all costs. He only wanted to fight the least amount of people he could, and while he was trusting in the skills his grandfather taught him, along with the experience he gained in his last fight, he was still no where near the level to fight more than one enemy at once.

Grasping the handles of the double doors, Naruto prepared himself to deal with the threat.

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><p>The inside was...interesting to say the least. Ancient tapestry covered the walls. Valuables littered the floor, gold, jewellery, all of it were glistening in the candle light. At the end of the grand room was a make-shift thrown; and upon that thrown was a small man with puffy brown hair. He wore black shades and adorned a business suit. The man smirked victoriously as he spotted Naruto enter. Clapping slowly to himself, Gato sneered.<p>

"Well, well, well...Look what we have here. What brings a kid like you to my home?" Gato stood up from his seat and slowly descended the stairs to Naruto's level; smiling mockingly all the way.

Naruto looked shocked at Gato knowing about his arrival, but his expression quickly turned cautious. "How do you know who I am?"

Gato merely smirked, and with a click of his fingers, ten Samurai appeared from behind him and lined up in a offensive formation.

Naruto gulped.

"Its probably not best to talk about invading my compound in a open ramen bar!" Gato laughed. Turning around Gato waved his hand over his shoulder dismissively."Who ever is the one to bring his head gets a hundred copper."

At his command the Samurai charged at Naruto, each one aiming for the kill.

Naruto was really regretting entering without a back up plan.

With a short battle cry, Naruto jumped into the fray.

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><p><strong>Not sure if I'm any good at writing battles... meh, I don't care.<strong>


	4. IV

**I couldn't help but think Pirates of the Caribbean for this chapter. **

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><p>Roaring as he charge towards his impending doom, Naruto realised that it probably wasn't the best idea to attack head on. Stopping abruptly, Naruto spun on his heel and ran in the other direction; still shouting his battle cry. The Samurai were confused at Naruto's change of heart but kept charging nonetheless.<p>

As Naruto was performing a 'tactical retreat', he spotted a staircase going up to another level of the building. Thinking that it was mostly likely the smartest thing to do, Naruto ran for the stairs, careful not to open his wound.

The Samurai however, saw what Naruto was trying to do and split up into teams of two, the pairs split off to different staircases in an attempt to block him off while two Samurai followed Naruto. Spotting this in his peripheral vision, Naruto carried on anyway, hoping he could somehow pick them off leaped up the stairs as fast as he could, the Samurai a fair bit behind. He emerged in a long, dark hallway; completely opposite from the brightly lit downstairs. The only light was from the small windows and even that was limited to an extent. Ornaments and furniture were placed neatly against the walls, doors to rooms on the opposite side.

Frantically looking for a place he could hide and form a plan, Naruto spotted one of the many doors that lead into unknown rooms. Not wasting anymore time, Naruto rushed towards one of the doors. Inside was a trophy room of sorts. Fancy, expensive ornaments and valuables filled the room in rows, making each row separate and blocked off from one another. Heading for the row on the far right, Naruto ran half way down until he spotted a large decorative cupboard, one he could easily hide in...

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><p>The pair of Samurai behind Naruto entered the dark hallway. Both of them searched the passage for any signs of the man they were sent to kill. Their eyes locked onto the slightly ajar door that lead into one of the many rooms. Edging cautiously towards it, one of the Samurai gently pushed open the door with a slow creak. Both inside they split up to search the individual rows, starting at the opposing ends.<p>

The Samurai on the far right row tentatively proceeded down his aisle, checking both sides for any type of life. Passing a large, expertly carved cupboard, the Samurai heard movement. Suspicious, the warrior reached out for the handle, only for the doors to suddenly open and drag him inside. A short scuffle ensued, knocking the cupboard from left to right. Not long after, it stopped. The doors slowly creaked open and a shadow exited.

The Samurai on the left found nothing along his rows so he searched the others. It was only until he reached the middle row that he past something unexpected.

Eyes widening, the man approached the marvellous object. Resting in a armoured mannequins hands was the most striking sword he had ever seen. The low lighting set a ghostly shine to it, one that seemed to reflect his own soul. Light glinted off the edge of the blade, making it look like it could cut through the strongest of steel. Ecstatic, the man grasped the blade, lifting it up and admiring it more; however, only after that did the man receive the shock of his life.

The mannequin seemed to shift in place and speak in a annoyed tone, "Get your own sword!"Before the man could react, the not so mannequin's fist smashed into his unprotected face.

Catching the blade before it could hit the ground, Naruto stood victoriously. "Two down, eight to go."

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><p>Exiting the trophy room, Naruto entered the gloomy hallway once more, only to smack one of his hunters in the face with the door, causing him to stumble backwards and fall out the opposing window.<p>

Naruto and the last Samurai stared at each other until a heavy thud was heard from outside. Simultaneously, the warriors unsheathed their blades and swiped at each other. Rebounding off each other in a metallic clang, they both spared no time in swinging at each other again; only this time Naruto faked and ducked with his strike, causing his opponent's blade to stick into one of the shelves, sinking into it with no promise of release. The Samurai struggled to retract his blade from the furniture but Naruto had already taken advantage of his predicament. Kusanagi was already hilted in the man's gut before he could even react.

Breathing heavily from the encounter, Naruto unsheathed his sword from the man's gut, allowing him to fall limply against the floor. Blood trickled from Kusanagi's tip but a quick swish from Naruto cleaned the blade of the life fluid.

Sliding Kusanagi back into it's holster, Naruto sneaked down the ill-lit passage way.

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><p>(<strong>AN: This section includes mostly made up technology. This was <span>not<span> used in Feudal Japan as far as my knowledge but I basically used the first thing from the top of my head. Don't judge!**)

Naruto had encountered a problem.

He needed the toilet.

Searching the new set of doors, Naruto stumbled up the most grandest and high-class bathroom he had ever seen.

The first section of the enormous bathroom was a changing room. Bamboo shutters allowed people to get undressed discretely and multiple hampers around the room allowed people to place their clothes in.

Naruto rushed past the changing room and into the second section, bursting to go. A lengthy shower room stretched out before him, separated by a tile wall that ran down the centre. Small walls separated each individual cubical for each person's privacy, bamboo pipes lead to each one, providing them with hot water .

Naruto made it halfway down until he encountered a slight problem. One of the men that was sent to eliminate him turned the corner and was heading straight towards him. Naruto groaned at his luck; both of their eyes met for a split second until the Samurai shot towards him.

"He's here!" He shouted over the barrier, seemingly to alert his partner.

Realising he is at a major disadvantage, Naruto swivelled from left to right, looking for anything that could turn the favour. A grin stretched across his face as he unsheathed Kusanagi for the umpteenth time tonight and struck the bamboo pipe. Heated water burst from the cut pipe and straight onto the floor of the Samurai's path. Not expecting this tactic, the man slipped on the water and landed roughly on his back.

Naruto proceeded to cut as many pipes as he could, quickly filling the room with steam, reducing everyone's vision. Hearing footsteps from behind him, Naruto hid in on of the cubicles and extended his leg out. The footsteps gained volume as they approached but as soon as they sounded as they were merely a couple feet away, Naruto felt a force slam into his leg; a surprised shout was heard soon after followed with a thump upon the floor.

Naruto rushed out of the cubicle and was met with a grisly sight. The Samurai that had first fell into his trap was in the process of getting up, with his blade stretched out in front of him; however, unfortunately for the pair, when the second man had tripped over Naruto's leg, it sent his straight into the extended blade, impaling him.

The man on that was not impaled was paralysed. However, before he could react, Naruto had already inserted his blade into his chest. Coughing up blood, the man gasped for air before falling dead; his partner limp on top of him.

Naruto dragged his now drenched form to the toilets that were on the opposite side of the showers. Kusanagi held loosely at his side.

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><p>Still dripping wet, Naruto left the bathroom after doing his business and entered the hallway once more. Not wanting to be found, Naruto carried on down until he reached the next corner. However, instead of another passage way racked with doors and furniture, in it's place was a balcony that was directly positioned over Gato's thrown.<p>

Naruto crouched to avoid detection and peered over the balcony.

He spotted the remaining four Samurai standing in front of Gato.

"What do you mean you couldn't find him?!" Gato screeched, making the Samurai flinch.

"We searched everywhere for him, all we found was the bodies of our comrades..." The man sounded depressed, but Gato didn't seem to care.

"I fucking care about those fools! I told you to kill him and you failed that one simple task! He's probably already got out of the compound by now!"

As Gato was scolding his men, Naruto was busy staring at the large chandelier not far from the balcony.

_'Hmm, I wonder...'_ Thinking he could get the drop on them, Naruto climbed upon the rail of the balcony, careful not to alert the people below, and leapt for the chandelier.

Grasping onto it, Naruto immediately regretted his plan as it swung wildly from side to side.

_'Why on Earth did I think this was a good idea?! Dammit Naruto! Now I'm going to fall to my death!' _His assumption was proven as the chandelier seemed to drop down a step.

_'Ohh no.' _Naruto dared a glance down at the people below and was amazed to see that they were completely oblivious to what was happening above them.

_'How the heck can they not hear this?!' _Gato's screaming seemed to get louder. _'Oh yeah...' _However, Naruto was cut out of his musings as the chandelier creaked under the added weight; cracks formed on the ceiling where the chandelier connected.

_'Fuck.'_

With a large crack, the roof caved under the weight; sending down Naruto along with the chandelier. Grasping onto it for dear life, Naruto braced for impact.

Gato stopped his rambling when a large crack was heard overhead. Gato along with his men looked up, only to see a chandelier speeding towards them.

Gato watched in horror as his very expensive chandelier crashed into his men, crushing their bones on impact. Dust clouded his vision as the debris from the room occasionally fell from the ground.

"What the hell!"

It was dead silent as the dust settled, Gato waited nervously as he waited apprehensively for something to happen.

"What the fuck is that!?"

A demonic shadow formed within the dust. It's red eyes gleaming malevolently into Gato's, shaking him to the core. A bloodthirsty grin spilt across it's face as nine tails protruded from it's back.

However, the ominous presence was broken as Naruto staggered out of the smoke, coughing roughly.

"Holy shit! *cough* T-That was awesome!" He rose his fist it in the air as he struck a good guy pose... that was until a excruciating pain came from his side. "Dammit! Bad idea!" Naruto gripped his previous wound as he mumbled about how it will take ages to heal.

Meanwhile, Gato was speechless. This man...this _boy _waltzed into his home and took out a group of his finest men and he's a complete idiot! Before Gato could carry on his musings, Naruto recovered and spotted that they were the only two left.

Gato's eyes were wide in fear as he heard the monster in front of him chuckle darkly. His chuckling rose in volume as he got closer, "P-Please don't kill me! I-I can give you money! Yes! Lots and lots of m-money!" Naruto's chuckling stopped and for a second, Gato thought he was free.

Big mistake.

Naruto grasped the collar of Gato's suit roughly and lifted him up the air. Gato squirmed in his grasp, trying to escape but to no avail; he was trapped. When Naruto spoke it made Gato's blood run cold. "Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you..." Gato seemed immensely relieved, but it didn't last long, "But...I'm going to let the villagers you extorted deal with you instead." Before Gato could scream, Naruto had already knocked him out.

Throwing Gato's body over his shoulder Naruto turned to leave, only to meet the rest of the compound's men.

_'Oh yeah...forgot about them' _Instead of running away like the Samurai expected, Naruto ran straight at them and used Gato's body to burst through their formation. Once Naruto was through, he made a run for the door. Bursting down the door, Naruto searched for an escape route. Spotting a small stable, Naruto shot towards it, the Samurai not too far behind.

Throwing Gato's body over the side a horse, Naruto clambered on. Smacking his heels into the side of the horse, Naruto held on as the horse charged towards the...still closed door to the compound.

Luckily, the gatekeeper was unaware of what had transpired and was opening the gate to allow a night patrol to enter. Taking his chance, Naruto commanded the horse to charge the gate; the Samurai screaming at the gatekeeper to shut it.

Hearing shouting from behind him, the gatekeeper turned around to see a horse fast approaching him and his comrades shouting behind him.

"Close the damn gate!"

The gatekeeper quickly started shutting the gate, despite the patrol halfway through. Naruto was not deterred from his course and sped up to reach the gate in time. Naruto squeezed through the gate just in time as it slammed shut, knocking away the patrol that was passing through.

Turning around to look back at the gatekeeper, Naruto flipped the bird.

"Better luck next time!"

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><p><strong>A bit of an immature end to the first arc but...It'll do. Yes, I know the arc was short but I wanted it to be a bit of make or break for people who are reading. Just so people know what they're getting into, hence why I brought out the chapters so fast. The updates may slow down a bit so I can progress with my other story a bit so watch out for that. I would like to thank everyone for reviewing and to keep it up! I'm not blasting out these chapters for nothing!<strong>

**Next chapter will be about Naruto heading towards Konoha. Not long until he meets our fair maiden!...Maybe a spoiler there...**


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